Fresh produce consumption is rather slow. After a decade of continuous drops, there was a 3% increase in 2015, but the growth was only 1.4% in 2016. If we go on like this, it will take a long time before we return to the levels before the crisis.
62% of fruit and vegetables are sold by retailers, with discount stores becoming increasingly more popular. In general, fruit recorded +2.1% of volumes and vegetables +0.6%.
The data was collected by GfK and processed by Cso Italy for Macfrut Consumers' trend, the observatory on consumption promoted by Macfrut, the fresh produce fair.
Even though 2016 was the second year with a positive sign, Macfrut President Renzo Piraccini comments that "it was still not as positive as 2015. It's hard, but we would like to monitor consumption outside the house too, as more and more people aren't having lunch at home. Anyway, we must consider the idea of exporting outside of Europe too."
Macfrut president Renzo Piraccini
The President will soon leave for Colombia to present the fair. The South American country might be a good market for products with a long shelf-life and technology.
Macfrut president Renzo Piraccini
The President will soon leave for Colombia to present the fair. The South American country might be a good market for products with a long shelf-life and technology.
Fruit
If we analyse the data for 2016, we can see how some categories didn't do so well. Peaches lost 1% in consumption (267 thousand tons) and it seems like an irreversible trend. It may be time to listen to some experts who are suggesting a solution to make peaches and nectarines popular again.
The orange situation is even worse. While they have recovered 2% in the past year, there was a 12% drop over the past 10 years. Only clementines did rather well, with 21 thousand tons more with respect to 2015 (+8.5%).
Positive note for pears, as sales increased by 4%.
Apples are the most popular product with 825 thousand tons and a 2% growth. Oranges hold the second place with 550 tons and bananas are in third place with 453 thousand tons, i.e. 10% of the total consumption.
Piraccini stresses how products like peaches continue to suffer. "It's a trend, people's tastes change. It also happens with apples - there are traditional varieties which are not doing very well and new ones that are becoming very popular. The same goes for strawberries and seedless grapes. While it is true that trends change, what mustn't change is the will to innovate."
The growth in consumption melons experienced in the past few years stopped in 2016. Kiwi volumes also changed very little from 2015 with 118 thousand tons. Lemons saw an 8% increase. Grapes continue their slow growth, increasing by 1% compared to 2015. Except for peaches, other stone fruit did better than 2015 - nectarines +1%, apricots +2%, plums+7% and cherries +9%.
Piraccini stresses how products like peaches continue to suffer. "It's a trend, people's tastes change. It also happens with apples - there are traditional varieties which are not doing very well and new ones that are becoming very popular. The same goes for strawberries and seedless grapes. While it is true that trends change, what mustn't change is the will to innovate."
The growth in consumption melons experienced in the past few years stopped in 2016. Kiwi volumes also changed very little from 2015 with 118 thousand tons. Lemons saw an 8% increase. Grapes continue their slow growth, increasing by 1% compared to 2015. Except for peaches, other stone fruit did better than 2015 - nectarines +1%, apricots +2%, plums+7% and cherries +9%.
In 2016, fresh produce purchases amounted to 8.27 million tons for €13.7 billion (+1.4% than 2015), with prices stable over the past three years.
In the past 10 years, the change affected not so much volumes (+0.4%) but rather average purchase prices, which went from €1.55/kg to the current €1.66/kg (+6.8%). A negative change for the production world, as profits dropped on almost all fronts.
62% of sales are made through retailers, with a 13% growth for discount stores compared to +1% for supermarkets and -3% for hypermarkets.
Vegetables
The situation is slightly livelier for vegetables. Potatoes are the most popular with a 3% increase compared to 2015, while tomatoes stopped at +1%. Salad lost 1%, but 2015 had been a record year. Courgettes also saw a 2% drop.
Carrots have done well over the past five years, and registered a 1% growth in 2016. Onions saw a 4% growth. Asparagus saw a 13% growth reaching 23 thousand tons and radicchio grew by 4% compared to 2015.
Sales channels
62% of fresh produce was sold by retailers, just like in 2015. Supermarkets handled 35% of volumes, followed by discount stores (14%), hypermarkets (11%) and superettes (2%). Greengrocer's sold 22% of volumes and street vendors sold 13% of the total.
Supermarkets increased volumes handled by 1% compared to 2015, reaching over 2.85 million tons. Hypermarkets experienced a 3% drop. But it is discount stores which surprised everyone with a 13% growth for a total volume of 1.17 million tons.
The past three years have been positive also for traditional retailers, which currently handle 1.81 million tons (+9% compared to 2015). Local markets and street vendors only reached 1.1 million tons, -13% compared to the previous year.
All average retail prices increased, discount stores included, while those in traditional channels remain the same or dropped, which was also the case for street vendors.
For further information:
Cesena Fiera
Via Dismano 3845
47522 Pievesestina di Cesena (FC) - Italy
Tel.: +39 0547 317435
Fax: +39 0547 318431
Email: info@macfrut.com
Web: www.macfrut.com